Smoke from Quebec fires covering parts of southwestern Europe, NASA says

The.U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says satellite imagery from Monday showed smoke extending across the North Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of western Europe.

NASA says that air quality in Europe has not deteriorated to the extent seen in Canada because of the height of the smoke in the atmosphere.

Smoky air led Environment Canada to issue smog warnings formuch of southern Quebec over the weekend, and parts of the province's westernmost region are still subject to an air quality alert.

Quebec's forest fire prevention agency, known by its French acronym SOPFEU,says there are more than 100 wildfires across the province, including 77 in the southern half, where more than two dozen fires are considered out of control.

Officials say rain that started falling Monday in parts of the province is helping itsefforts in fighting the fires,notably in the Abitibi region, but rain alone won't be sufficient to extinguish them.

WATCH| Why are there so many forest fires this year?:

What's behind Quebec's 'unprecedented' forest fire season?

1 year ago

Duration 2:01

CBC's Steve Rukavina explains why so many fires are burning, many out of control, in the province this spring.